San Jose ready with proposal for 25-year sports field collaboration with San Jose Unified School District

By Carol Rosen, Correspondent

Posted:
12/13/2012 08:04:04 PM PST

Late last month, San Jose City Council members unanimously approved construction of joint use soccer fields with the San Jose Unified School District at Allen at Steinbeck School in District 10. On Dec. 13, city staff was scheduled to present the proposed agreement to the school district's board of trustees for approval.

If the district agrees with the 25-year proposal, two new artificial turf soccer fields will open for joint use at the school by late spring, according to Matt Cano, acting deputy director of administrative services for Parks Recreation and Neighborhood Services.

"My staff is comfortable with the proposal," says Ann Jones, chief business officer for the school district.

A donor is providing $4 million for the fields to the city for soccer fields at the school. The city will add a capital contribution. The donor will remain anonymous until the fields' grand opening. The donor assigned management and disbursement of the $4 million to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which will transfer necessary funds to the city once construction contracts are awarded.

The funds will allow the city to design, construct, operate and maintain two artificial turf soccer fields, one 75 by 120 yards and the other 70 by 110 yards, for joint use by school, adult and youth soccer teams.

The fields would be available for other recreational uses as well. The city also will add 54 new paved parking spaces, a restroom and storage, lighting and fencing.

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While some residents expressed concerns about the field lighting, staff determined that the effect of the lighting will be minimal.

"The closest residence is more than 150 feet from the edge of the sports fields across Santa Teresa Boulevard. At this level of illumination, the lighting from the sports field lights will not exceed the illumination from street lights along Santa Teresa Boulevard and Allen Avenue, which separate the project site from nearby residences," according to a memo released by Julie Edmonds-Mares, acting director of PRNS.

While weather or play does not destroy artificial turf, its life usually runs about 13 years. The donation will cover replacement for an additional 13 years.

Cano says city staff and the district have worked out an agreement for sharing the site. Its terms allow the school to use the fields until approximately 4 p.m. on weekdays, with adult and youth soccer teams making reservations for practice and play from 4 to 10 p.m. on weekends and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends, school holidays and during the summer break. Both the city and the district must agree to any adjustments to those hours.

The terms of this agreement allow the city to offset its costs by charging fees. The fees, to be deposited in a city account, will offset the costs of city staff to manage and maintain the fields.